Margherita Salerno

Visual–spatial training efficacy in children affected by migraine without aura: A multicenter study

Routinely in the clinical practice, children affected by migraine without aura (MwA) tend to exhibit severe and persistent difficulties within cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and visual–motor integration (VMI) skills. The aim of this study was to assess the visual–spatial and visual–motor abilities among a sample of children with MwA and the effects of a specific computerized training. The study population was composed of 84 patients affected by MwA (39 girls and 45 boys; mean age: 8.91±2.46 years), and they were randomly divided into two groups (group A and group B) comparable for age (P=0.581), gender (P=0.826), socioeconomic status (SES), migraine frequency (P=0.415), and intensity (P=0.323). At baseline (T0), the two groups were comparable for movement assessment battery for children (M-ABC) and VMI performances. After 6 months of treatment (T1), group A showed lower scores in the dexterity item of M-ABC test (P<0.001) and higher scores in M-ABC global performance centile (P<0.001) and total (P<0.001), visual (P=0.017), and motor (P<0.001) tasks of VMI test than group B. Moreover, at T1, group A showed higher scores in total (P<0.001) and motor (P<0.001) tasks of VMI test and in M-ABC global performance centile (P<0.001) and lower scores in the dexterity item of M-ABC test (P<0.001) than at T0. Group B showed, at T1, performances comparable to T0 for all evaluations. As reported by recent studies about alteration MwA among children in motor abilities, our study confirmed these difficulties and the efficacy of a specific software training, suggesting a new rehabilitative proposal in childhood.

AUtonomic Regulation In Autism Spectrum Disorders

LUCIA PARISI1, MARGHERITA SALERNO2, AGATA MALTESE1, GABRIELE TRIPI3,4, PALMIRA ROMANO5, ANNABELLA DI FOLCO1, TERESA DI FILIPPO1, MICHELE ROCCELLA1 1Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy 2Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy 3Department PROSAMI, University of Palermo, Italy 4Childhood Psychiatric Service for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, CH Chinon, France 5Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health and Physical and Preventive Medicine; Università degli Studi della Campania-Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy

Sensory perception in preschool children affected by autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

LUCIA PARISI*, MARIA ROSARIA FORTUNATO**, MARGHERITA SALERNO***, AGATA MALTESE*, ANNABELLA DI FOLCO*, TERESA DI FILIPPO*, MICHELE ROCCELLA* *Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy **Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health and Physical and Preventive Medicine; Second University of Naples, Italy ***Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy

Sleep habits in children affected by autism spectrum disorders: A preliminary case-control study

FRANCESCO PRECENZANO*1, MARIA RUBERTO*2, LUCIA PARISI3, MARGHERITA SALERNO4, AGATA MALTESE3, DOMENICO VERDE1, GABRIELE TRIPI5,6, PALMIRA ROMANO1, ANNABELLA DI FOLCO3, TERESA DI FILIPPO3, GIOVANNI MESSINA7, MICHELE ROCCELLA3 1Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry; Headache Center for children and adolescents, Department of Mental Health and Physical and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy 2Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, Second University of Naples, Italy 3Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy 4Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy 5Department PROSAMI, University of Palermo, Italy6Childhood Psychiatric Service for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, CH Chinon, France7Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

LUCIA PARISI*1, MARIA RUBERTO*2, FRANCESCO PRECENZANO*3, TERESA DI FILIPPO1, CARMEN RUSSOTTO1, AGATA MALTESE1, MARGHERITA SALERNO4, MICHELE ROCCELLA1 1Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy 2Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties; Second University of Naples 3Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry; Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine; Second University of Naples 4Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy

Life events and primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis: A pediatric pilot study

LUCIA PARISI*, MARIA ANTONIETTA FARALDO**, MARIA RUBERTO***, MARGHERITA SALERNO****, AGATA MALTESE*, ANNABELLA DI FOLCO*, GIOVANNI MESSINA*****, TERESA DI FILIPPO*, MICHELE ROCCELLA* *Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy **Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health and Physical and Preventive Medicine; Second University of Naples, Italy ***Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, Second University of Naples, Italy ****Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy *****Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

Executive functioning in preschool children affected by autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

FRANCESCO PRECENZANO*, MARIA RUBERTO**, LUCIA PARISI***, MARGHERITA SALERNO****, AGATA MALTESE***, CLARA VAGLIANO* GIOVANNI MESSINA*****, ANNABELLA DI FOLCO***, TERESA DI FILIPPO*, MICHELE ROCCELLA*** *Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Mental Health and Physical and Preventive Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy **Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, Second University of Naples, Italy ***Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy ****Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy *****Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

Maternal stress and coping strategies in developmental Dyslexia: An Italian multicenter study

Background Studies about the impact of developmental dyslexia (DD) on parenting are scarce. Our investigation aimed to assess maternal stress levels and mothers’ copying styles in a population of dyslexic children. Methods A total of 874 children (500 boys, 374 girls; mean age 8.32 ± 2.33 years) affected by DD was included in the study. A total of 1,421 typically developing children (789 boys, 632 girls; mean age 8.25 ± 3.19 years) were recruited from local schools of participating Italian Regions (Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Umbria, Sicily) and used as control-children group. All mothers (of both DD and typically developing children) filled out an evaluation for parental stress (Parenting Stress Index—Short Form) and coping strategies [Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS)]. Results No statistical differences for mean age (p = 0.456) and gender (p = 0.577) were found between DD and control children. Mothers of children affected by DD showed an higher rate of all parental stress indexes (Parental Distress domain p < 0.001, Difficult Child p < 0.001, Parent–Child Dysfunctional Interaction p < 0.001, and Total Stress subscale score p < 0.001) than controls mothers. According to the CISS evaluation, mothers of DD children reported a significantly higher rate of emotion-oriented (p < 0.001) and avoidance-oriented (p < 0.001) coping styles than mothers of typical developing children. On the other hand, a lower representation of task-oriented coping style was found in mothers of DD children (p < 0.001) in comparison to mothers of control-children. Conclusion Our study shows the clinical relevance of the burden carried by the mothers of children affected by DD and suggests the importance to assess parents, particularly mothers, to improve family compliance and clinical management of this disorder.

EMotional Intelligence And Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome In Children: Preliminary Case-Control Study

LUCIA PARISI1, MARGHERITA SALERNO2, AGATA MALTESE1, GABRIELE TRIPI3,4, PALMIRA ROMANO5, ANNABELLA DI FOLCO1, TERESA DI FILIPPO1, GIOVANNI MESSINA6, MICHELE ROCCELLA1 1Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, University of Palermo, Italy 2Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Italy 3Department PROSAMI, University of Palermo, Italy 4Childhood Psychiatric Service for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, CH Chinon, France 5Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry; Department of Mental Health and Physical and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania-Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy 6Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Human Physiology and Unit of Dietetics and Sports Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

The rorschach test evaluation in chronic childhood migraine: A preliminary multicenter case-control study

Object About 1.2–3.2% of children at 7 years of age with increasing age up to 4–19% in adolescents are suffering from migraine without aura (MwA). The aim of the present study is investigating the personality style associated with children and adolescents affected by MwA, administrating the Rorschach test, and comparing with typical developing healthy controls (TD). Methods 137 patients (74 males), aged 7.3–17.4 years (mean age 11.4, SD 3.02 years), affected by MwA according to the IHs-3 criteria. The Rorschach variables were treated as numerical variables and statistically tested with t-Student’s analysis. Results No statistical differences were found between the MwA and TD for age (p = 0.55), and gender (p = 0.804). From the comparison between the two samples, MwA group shows lower W responses (p < 0.001), good quality W responses (p < 0.001), high frequency of detailed responses (p < 0.001), the presence of even minor form of good quality responses (p < 0.001), increased presence of animals answers (A%) (p < 0.001), more frequent trivial answers (Ban%) (p < 0.001). Discussion Rorschach interpretation pinpointed many interesting and, perhaps, peculiar aspects in our MwA population such as a trend predisposition for: analytical reasoning rather than synthetic, ease/practicality rather than creativity, oppositionality rather than external adaptation to the environment that may be interpreted as effect of general maladaptivity.